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I'm an adherent of the squareback school of design, mainly because I like simple design, strength of structure, and the fact that I had no way to bend 3/4" thick plywood (my choice of material, prior to ever designing it). But, I tried to get some aero benefits if I could, by trying to hide the...

my new shovel, good for less, durable? I think so Recently, I needed a shovel with a handle, short length, pointed end, good footsteps, and durable to boot, both for my truck & trailer recovery kit, and for general yardwork. I was going to get a Stanley Fatmax, since I have many of their Fatmax...

like a Boy Scout, be prepared I've encountered burnt plugs and faulty breakers in the park boxes, so I carry extra adapters, extra cords, and extra testers just in case. And, if really needed, an on-board generator, too. adapters and extra GFCI breaker should overcome faulty park pedestal equipment

truck bed compartments and security cables I use a 2500HD Chevy Silverado to tow my squareback trailer for camping. The truck usually sits for weeks at a time between uses, now that I'm retired, while my HHR Panel gets driven locally once or twice a week (all my vehicles and trailer batteries...

pre-frozen drinks in bottles as my best cooling solution (using present equipment) I am officially old, and have become very tired of the melted ice and warm food and drinks that follow. But, using frozen bottles of water/drinks in a cooler to stretch the cooling time is new to me. I'd always...

my supercooler build;partially OK (at best), needs pre-cooling and real ice to work Three weeks+, and two 72-hour cooling tests later, I have no joy at the results. I ran the tests in an air-conditioned spot, at a constant 79-80 degrees, to best evaluate any modifications to the cooler(s). I...

frame first, then the superstructure; use steel bracing, gusseted angles, and corners My 4x8 squareback trailer is similar to a Hiker in shape only. I did not have the woodworking skills to stick-build the cabin, nor the desire for metal sheathing, nor for insulation (at the time; now...

pics of what? things I saw, or things I built? Disbeliever! I don't think I need to show you pics of teardrops from the 40-50's, that inspired me, nor the present day trailers here and on the other forum, that continue to. Nor do I need to show pics of deteriorated canvas tents and pop-ups (if...

re-purposing HF racks for a lot less money If you can't find the interior rack you want at your favorite outfitters, why not re-purpose a hitch-mounted carrier from Harbor Freight, or Northern Tool, to do the same thing. And, for a lot less money.The Adventure Trailers rack measures 45"W x...

positives about using RTTs are even more compelling reasons for an enclosed trailer I haven't "overlanded" yet, for lack of a proper vehicle, nor have, or ever will, travel the Rubicon or such terrain, but wish to explore some milder forest service-type backroads (or just camp down by the...

supercooler continued; actually building it DAY THREE, THE PROJECT STARTS & FINISHES?:I started the insulation install for the cube into cube experiment. I bought some 2'x2' squares of pink foam "project boards", along with a roll of Reflectix foil tape (I find it to be easier to use than the...

supercooler continued, day two addendum (self questioning) Why not build an insulated box from plywood and foam, to meet similar specs of the rotomolded coolers? Not much space left there; just enough to reach in over the Cube to turn the galley lights on, and there's electrical to the left and...

supercooler continued DAY TWO, PSYCHING MYSELF FOR THE BUILD: I tried another form of insulation, before, trying to achieve the same goal: a cold cooler. I've tried wrapping my Coleman Extreme cooler in an insulated "cozy", made of Ultratouch, of chopped denim, faced with reflective Mylar, back...

DAY ONE, FORMING THE IDEA: Been thinking about coolers: including rotomolded coolers, 12vdc/120vac vehicle specific coolers, and even dorm fridge/freezers, that would fit into my trailer's "galley", without re-doing everything. But, for cheap, as is usually my preference. I've looked everywhere...

off-road with leaf suspension; spring over axle, short cabin height for stability You've already answered your own questions; don't waver now. The way you have your springs over your axle is the way to go, for maximum ground clearance, so don't compromise that, to gain cabin height. Not only...

ELUCIDATION OF THE THINKING BEHIND IT ALL My wife just asked me why I keep on changing the configuration of my trailer (I no longer hold any hopes of her using it, though I designed it for her use, at first). She doesn't understand why I must modify things, constantly, when nothing is really...

continuation on a theme; bracing for more cargo True, my trailer isn't the most beautiful one out there, nor was it ever intended to conform to any conventional design...it is what it is, an attempt to pack in the necessities for one-person camping, in or out of the usual camping locales, on or...

another Ozark Trail bargain...better than it has to be In my earlier post, I forgot to mention a headlamp I bought at Walmart, primarily for "snake patrol" in my back yard (we have eight dogs, some very large and tough, and some very small and vulnerable, so I scout the yard at night with a frog...

LED lights, inside, outside, all around; 12vdc and 120vac (w/GFCI) I use LED lights exclusively in my trailer. I bought two sets of lights at Ikea, one with puck lights​ (w/RGB color dial), the other on 18" bars. Both sets are 120vac, inside the cabin. I also have a series of round lights...

A A or AAA wherever possible for me I remember the days when you had to carry a 6v spotlight to get any lasting illumination when out in the woods. Then they made some waterproof (but not go IP8 standards). Otherwise you could choose Ray-o-vac plastic C or D cell lights at the hardware store...